Program

Executive Summary：
Jonathan Cole is a consultant in clinical neurophysiology at University Hospitals, Dorset and a professor at the University of Bournemouth. His empirical research has been mainly in the field of motor control and sensory loss. He has also written books on the experience of proprioceptive loss and movement without feedback, and of spinal cord injury, the relations between face and self, and the consequences of speech difficulty, as well as on Chekhov's humanitarian and medical work.

He has been president of the British Society for Clinical Neurophysiology and the European, Middle East and Africa Chapter, IFCN. He is currently president IFCN.

Lecture Abstract：

Executive Summary：
Professor Robert Chen undertook medical training at University of Cambridge and Guy’s Hospital, London, and received his MA and medical (MBBChir) degrees from the University of Cambridge. He undertook Neurology residency at the University of Western Ontario (Canada), and fellowship at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. He is currently Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at University of Toronto, Senior Scientist at Krembil Research Institute, Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Neurophysiology and Associate Editor of Movement Disorders. His clinical and research interests include transcranial magnetic and ultrasound stimulation, neurophysiology and treatment of movement disorders, mapping of brain connectivity using functional magnetic imaging and electroencephalography, electromyography and neurophysiological assessment of the respiratory system. He has published over 430 research papers with H-index of 118 (Google Scholar), a book on Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and edited two volumes of Handbook of Clinical Neurology on Respiratory Neurobiology in 2022.

Lecture Abstract：
Low intensity transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique. Compared to commonly used NIBS techniques, TUS is much more focal and can reach deeper brain structures. The talk will focus on induction of plasticity or after-effects by TUS, since lasting effects are likely required for non-invasive treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders. In human subjects, a theta burst TUS (tbTUS) protocol with TUS repeated at bursts at 5 Hz (theta frequency) for 80 to 120 s can increase motor cortical (M1) excitability for 30 to 90 min. Pharmacological studies showed that tbTUS plasticity is blocked by calcium channel and NMDA receptor blockers, and by benzodiazepine which enhances GABAergic transmission, consistent with a long-term potentiation-like mechanism. A magnetoencephalography study showed that TUS to the M1 led to widespread changes in connectivity between brain regions. The interactions between plasticity induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation and tbTUS are consistent with the concepts of metaplasticity and depotentiation. TUS targeting of deep brain structures requires accurate modeling based on individual MRI/CT scan because ultrasound is absorbed and deflected by the skull. A study in patients implanted with deep brain stimulation (DBS) device capable of chronic local field potential recordings showed that TUS of the internal globus pallidus (GPi) led to changes in local field potentials that are specific to the sonication protocol. Preliminary findings from our laboratory suggest that TUS of the cerebellar dentate nucleus can reduce the amplitude of orthostatic tremor. TUS has the potential to be developed into a novel non-invasive DBS treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Executive Summary：
Yoshikazu Ugawa, MD, Director and Professor, Department of Human Neurophysiology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. He survived the disaster of the earthquake 2011, Japan and still lives in Fukushima. He studied clinical neurophysiology of movement disorders under Professor Marsden and Professor Rothwell in Queen Square, London in 1987-1990. He received PhD from the University of Tokyo in 1992. He was a Director and Professor of Department of Neurology, Fukushima Medical University from 2007 to 2018. He has been a director of Department of Human Neurophysiology from 2019. He was the secretary general of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN) from 2014 to 2017, he has been a chair of brain stimulation SIG of IFCN in 2017 to 2023and an associate editor of Clinical Neurophysiology in 2006 to 2022, and he is now the president of AO chapter of IFCN. He is also the vice-president of Asian Oceanican Region of World Federation of Neurology (WFN) from 2023.

His main interest is non-invasive brain stimulation, such as TMS and newly developed transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS). His clinical interest is movement disorders and has published around 500 papers in international journals, his H-index is 71.

Lecture Abstract：

Executive Summary：
Dr. Lu graduated from China Medical University and received neurological resident training in China Medical University Hospital (CMUH), Taichung, Taiwan. In addition to the clinical practice experience, he also pursued his research training focusing on clinical neurophysiology. His research interests include pathophysiology of movement disorders and noninvasive neuromodulation. He applied EEG, TMS and MR-guided focused ultrasound to investigate and monitor neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. He has some publications regarding this field. He is currently a faculty of College of Medicine in CMU and an active member of Taiwan Society of Clinical Neurophysiology and Taiwan Movement Disorder Society.

Lecture Abstract：
MR-guided focus ultrasound (MRgFUS) has emerged as a pivotal non-invasive neuromodulation technique for treating movement disorders, particularly essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although the classical target, ventral intermediate (Vim) nucleus of the thalamus, is commonly used in clinical practice and able to achieve a satisfactory tremor control, there are critical issues concerning the target choice and the therapeutic effect. This talk will cover the technical considerations for MRgFUS ablation, including standardized procedures, follow-up flowcharts, and on-table evaluations. A specific lesion volume is critical for achieving optimal tremor control while minimizing long-lasting adverse events. For PD patients, various targets beyond the thalamus, such as the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and pallidothalamic tract (PTT), have been recognized as ideal ablation sites that may offer segregated benefits for symptoms like rigidity versus tremor. The efficacy and safety of staged bilateral procedures will be mentioned. The outcome comparison between MRgFUS-thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation will also be reviewed.